With the recent TWO air disasters this year in 2009, we take a look at some of the world’s deadliest air disasters as listed by the Associated Press, sadly there was one that happened in Medan Indonesia in 1997.

1. June 30, 2009: Yemenia Airbus 310 enroute to the Comoros Islands crashes into the Indian Ocean with 153 people on board.
2. June 1, 2009: Air France Airbus A330 runs into thunderstorms and crashes into Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing 228 people on board.
3. Feb. 19, 2003: Iranian Revolutionary Guard military plane crashes into a mountain. 275 dead.
4. May 25, 2002: China Airlines Boeing 747 breaks apart midair and crashes into the Taiwan Strait. 225 dead.
5. Nov. 12, 2001: American Airlines Airbus A300 crashes after takeoff from JFK Airport into the New York City borough of Queens. 265 dead, including people on the ground.
6. Oct. 31, 1999: Egypt Air Boeing 767 crashes off Nantucket; the NTSB blames actions by the co-pilot. 217 dead.
7. Sept. 2, 1998: Swiss Air MD-11 crashes off Nova Scotia. 229 dead.
8. Feb. 16, 1998: China Airlines Airbus A300 crashes on landing at airport in Taipei, Taiwan. 203 dead.
9. Sept. 26, 1997: Garuda Indonesia Airbus A300 crashes near airport in Medan, Indonesia. 234 dead.
10. Aug. 6, 1997: Korean Air Boeing 747-300 crashes on landing in Guam. 228 dead.
11. Nov. 12, 1996: Saudi Boeing 747 collides with Kazakh cargo plane near New Delhi. 349 dead.
12. July 17, 1996: TWA Boeing 747 explodes and crashes into the Atlantic off Long Island, New York. 230 dead.
13. April 26, 1994: China Airlines Airbus A300 crashes on landing at Nagoya Airport in Japan. 264 dead.
14. Dec. 12, 1985: Arrow Air DC-8 crashes after takeoff from Newfoundland, Canada. 256 dead.
15. Aug. 12, 1985: Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 crashes into a mountainside after losing part of its tail fin. 520 dead in the world’s worst single-plane disaster.
16. Aug. 19, 1980: Saudi Tristar makes emergency landing in Riyadh and bursts into flames. 301 dead.
17. May 25, 1979: American Airlines DC-10 crashes after takeoff from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. 275 dead.
18. Jan. 1, 1978: Air India 747 crashes into the ocean after takeoff from Mumbai. 213 dead.
19. March 27, 1977: KLM 474, Pan American 747 collide on runway in Tenerife, Canary Islands. 583 dead in world’s worst airline disaster.

Source: World Almanac, Associated Press.

Garuda Indonesia 1997 Crash

Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 (GA152, GIA152) was a scheduled domestic Indonesian passenger flight from Jakarta to Medan Sumatra operated by state owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. On September 26, 1997, the Airbus A300 flying this route, registered PK-GAI, crashed into woodlands 18 miles from Medan in low visibility. All 235 passengers and crew were killed in the disaster. The crash site was at an altitude of 3,000 feet (915 m) above sea level, near the village of Pancur Batu, Desa Buah Nabar.

It remains the worst single-aircraft disaster in Indonesian history, and was the most deadly air disaster of 1997. It was the fourth highest death toll of any aviation accident involving an Airbus A300 after the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. source Wikipedia. More about Garuda Indonesia 1997 Crash

Mandala Airline Crash 2005

One other fatal air crash in Medan was the Mandala Airline crash back in 2005 during take off which killed 104 passengers on board and 39 on ground including the Governor of North Sumatra province, Rizal Nurdin and former North Sumatra Governor Raja Inal Siregar.

There are many other air crash disaster around the world, the list of 19 above are the deadliest in terms of number of death. Air Disaster can happen anywhere around the world as shown in the list above, it can be scary to think of these disasters while traveling but statistics have shown that air travel is still one of the safest transport in the world with the least amount of accidents.

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However, the founding date of Medan 01 July 1590 has been criticized as `inaccurate’ as the Jakarta Post reported below.

Leaving all the arguments aside of the birth date of Medan, the founding year is right! So we can confirm that Medan is in fact a very old town of 419 years old. You can see some of Medan Historical buildings below or newer pictures & photos of Medan

Medan History

The Jakarta Post reports that Historians have criticized the anniversary celebrations for Medan, the provincial capital of North Sumatra, claiming the date was chosen more as a compromise rather than based on historical analysis.

Ichwan Azhari, head of Medan State University’s Center for Social and Historical Studies, said the July 1 anniversary date was completely fabricated and held no historical relation whatsoever with the founding of Medan city.

“To present date historians have found no basis for why July 1, 1590, was the decided birth date of Medan,” Ichwan told The Jakarta Post.

He said a manuscript, Hampatan Perak, did mention the year 1590 as the time when a figure named Guru Patimpus established the first village between the Deli and Babura Rivers in Medan. Still, no exact date was mentioned.

Ichwan said that prior to 1909, Medan’s anniversary was celebrated every July 1, but it was eventually changed to April 1.

This date was upheld for 66 years before it was finally reverted back to July 1 in 1975.

“This action shows we actually have no strong data *regarding the founding date of Medan*. We need to correct this so that we are not deceived by history,” he said.

He said he had raised the matter with both the municipal administration and local legislature but received no response.

The only living member of the committee assigned with determining the founding date, T. Lukman Sinar, said July 1 did in fact have nothing to do with the establishment of Medan.

July was chosen because it was relevant to the history of the Karo ethnic group’s Manteka Kuta (establishing a village), while the 1st was selected because it was simply the first day of the month.

He also said the committee dropped the April 1 choice because the date was set by the Dutch colonial administration.

“There was a very strong feeling of nationalism at that time, so the April 1 anniversary was dropped,” he said.

Personally he had no issue with being criticized for the inaccuracy of the date, he said, and had no problem with changing the date to accommodate history.

For more information about the history and demographics of Medan refer to Medan History

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First LEGO Pirates Showcase in Asia at Sun Plaza Medan

Are you a LEGO fan? Apparently there are many LEGO fans and collectors in Medan, including adults who have collected LEGOs in their younger years. If you are in Medan, you will be pleased to be the first in Asia to witness the new LEGO pirates.

So what’s Special in this LEGO Pirates event?

Expect to find special discounts on selected items, a huge 6×8m2 display of LEGO City and the Pirates World.
And the highlight is the brand new 2.15m high pirates built up with 20,800 pieces of LEGO! The first pirate was built and exhibited in the US, and Medan has the honor to get the brand new one from LEGO and be the first in Asia (2nd in the world) to show it off to LEGO fans in Asia.

The Giant LEGO Pirates standing at 2.15m Tall!

Enjoy other LEGO Pirates activities from 22 June – 12 July 2009 at Sun Plaza Medan such as:

Everyday Activities:

• Play Area
• LEGO Pirates Minifig Hunt
• LEGO Photo Building Contest

Witness the Spectacular display of LEGO Pirates Collection

Weekend Activities:

• LEGO Single Building Competition
• LEGO Parent & Child Building Competition
• Story Telling
• Meet & Greet with LEGO Pirates
• LEGO Pirates Building Happening

Last but not least, fulfil your dreams and Become a LEGO Pirate!

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More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. As of 26 June 2009, there has been 59,814 reported cases of the H1N1 flu worldwide with 263 deaths. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.

WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus.

Due to the increasing concerns of the pandemic H1N1 Swine Flu especially for travelers, here is the detail information from CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the virus including H1N1 symptoms and how to protect yourself and prevent from further spreading:

What is novel H1N1 (swine flu)?

Novel H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus. This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.

Why is novel H1N1 virus sometimes called “swine flu”?

This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.

Novel H1N1 Flu in Humans

Are there human infections with novel H1N1 virus in the U.S.?
Yes. Cases of human infection with novel H1N1 influenza virus were first confirmed in the U.S. in Southern California and near Guadalupe County, Texas. The outbreak intensified rapidly from that time and more and more states have been reporting cases of illness from this virus. An updated case count of confirmed novel H1N1 flu infections in the United States is kept at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.

Is novel H1N1 virus contagious?

CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has determined that novel H1N1 virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in people?

The symptoms of novel H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.  Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

How severe is illness associated with novel H1N1 flu virus?

It’s not known at this time how severe novel H1N1 flu virus will be in the general population. In seasonal flu, there are certain people that are at higher risk of serious flu-related complications. This includes people 65 years and older, children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions. Early indications are that pregnancy and other previously recognized medical conditions that increase the risk of influenza-related complications, like asthma and diabetes, also appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from novel H1N1 virus infection as well.

One thing that appears to be different from seasonal influenza is that adults older than 64 years do not yet appear to be at increased risk of novel H1N1-related complications thus far in the outbreak.  CDC is conducting laboratory studies to see if certain people might have natural immunity to this virus, depending on their age. Early reports indicate that no children and few adults younger than 60 years old have existing antibody to novel H1N1 flu virus; however, about one-third of adults older than 60 may have antibodies against this virus. It is unknown how much, if any, protection may be afforded against novel H1N1 flu by any existing antibody.

Emergency Warning Symptoms of H1N1 Virus

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Are there medicines to treat novel H1N1 infection?

Yes. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with novel H1N1 flu virus. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. During the current outbreak, the priority use for influenza

How can I protect myself from influenza A (H1N1)?

Practice general preventive measures for influenza:

• Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell and have fever and cough.
• Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often.
• Practice good health habits including adequate sleep, eating nutritious food, and keeping physically active.

How do I care for an ill person at home?

• Separate the ill person from others, at least 1 meter in distance from others.
• Cover your mouth and nose when caring for the ill person. Either commercial or homemade materials are fine, as long as they are disposed of or cleaned properly after use.
• Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly after each contact with the ill person.
• Improve the air flow where the ill person stays. Use doors and windows to take advantage of breezes.
• Keep the environment clean with readily available household cleaning agents.

If you are living in a country where there are infections follow additional advice from your national and local health authorities.

What should I do if I think I have the illness?

If you feel unwell, have high fever, cough or sore throat:

• Stay at home and keep away from work, school or crowds.
• Rest and take plenty of fluids.
• Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissues when coughing and sneezing, and dispose of the used tissues properly.
• Wash your hands with soap and water often and thoroughly, especially after coughing or sneezing.
• Inform family and friends about your illness and try to avoid contact with people.

What should I do if I need medical attention?

• Contact your doctor or healthcare provider before travelling to a health facility, and report your symptoms. Explain why you think you have influenza A(H1N1) (for example, if you have recently travelled to a country where there is an outbreak in humans). Follow the advice given to you.
• If it is not possible to contact your healthcare provider in advance, communicate your suspicion of infection as soon as you arrive at the facility.
• Cover your nose and mouth during travel.

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Adventure looms large in this vast and steamy archipelago, where the best of Southeast Asia’s spicy melange simmers tantalisingly. Heady scents, vivid colours, dramatic vistas and diverse cultures spin and multiply to the point of exhaustion, their potent brew leaving your senses reeling.

Rippling across the equator for nearly 5000km, Indonesia encompasses more than 17,000 islands, two-thirds of which are inhabited and richly layered with character. On Sulawesi, the elaborate funeral ceremonies and timeless traditions of Tana Toraja are light years from the surfing culture of Lombok. But so too are the mighty saddle-backed Batak mansions of Danua Toba and the volcanic lakes of Sumatra from the mummies and deeply etched gorges of Papua’s Baliem Valley. The resorts and restaurants of Bali pamper precocious style cats, while at the same moment threadbare backpackers are adopted by homestays in Kalimantan.

Indonesia’s cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology and construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the archipelago’s territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures and a myriad of landscapes. Oceanic rice fields and ancient sultanates in Java are humbled by haunting volcanic cones. Maluku’s alabaster beaches and desert islands remain pristine while the tourist trail heads elsewhere. The jungles of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua are zoological wonders, revealing impish monkeys, stoic sun bears, leopards, orang-utans and remarkable marsupials.

Lonely Planet lists the top15 natural, adventurous and exotic destinations in Indonesia and we are proud to see Lake Toba / Danau Toba of North Sumatra is listed as No.4 out of 15 of the destinations.

1. Kelimutu -Multihued crater lakes set atop an ancient volcano
2. Sumba – Fascinating and isolated island with unique tribal traditions and a rich weaving heritage
3. Pulau Weh – Undisturbed beaches, visiting whale sharks and sublime diving
4. Danau Toba – Gracious Batak hospitality and Southeast Asia’s largest volcanic lake
5. Banda Islands – Sublime snorkelling and pristine coral gardens in history’s fabled Spice Islands
6. Pulau Ternate & Pulau Tidore – Volcanic vistas overlooking ancient sultanates
7. Borobudur – Swaying palms, luminescent-green rice fields and Indonesia’s most breathtaking monument to Buddha
8. Gunung Bromo – Bubbling volcano resting in the desolate wastes of the Sea Of Sands
9. Bali -Heady fun, night-time pleasure, palaces, temples, shopping and Indonesia’s tourist heart
10. Bunaken Marine National Park – Underwater odysseys, staggering marine life and dazzling reefs
11. Tana Toraja – Elaborate funeral rites and a mystical mountain kingdom
12. The Baliem Valley – Trekking Papua’s stunning highlands and encountering diverse cultures
13. Pulau Biak – Birds of paradise, white-sand beaches and WWII wreck diving
14. Tanjung Puting National Park – River adventures, jungle treks and endearing rust-red orang-utans
15. Loksado – Hiking, bamboo, rafting and losing yourself in the enigmatic Meratus Mountains

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Jakarta Globe, Medan Authorities at Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, on Tuesday foiled an attempt to smuggle a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine and 4,038 ketamine pills into the country from Kuala Lumpur.

Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis (today a part of Pfizer) in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist. At high, fully anesthetic level doses, ketamine has also been found to bind to opioid ? receptors and sigma receptors. Like other drugs of this class such as tiletamine and phencyclidine (PCP), it induces a state referred to as “dissociative anesthesia” and is used as a recreational drug.

Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. It is highly active in the mesolimbic reward pathways of the brain, inducing intense euphoria, with risk for addiction. To a lesser extent, methamphetamine acts as a dopaminergic and adrenergic reuptake inhibitor with high concentrations serving as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Users may become hypersexual or obsessed with a task, thought or activity. Withdrawal is characterized by excessive sleeping, eating, and major depression, often accompanied by anxiety and drug-craving. Methamphetamine users may take sedatives such as benzodiazepines as a means of easing their “come down”, anxiety or enable them to sleep.

Methamphetamine has medical uses as well as the potential to cause addiction. Methamphetamine addiction typically occurs when a person begins to use the drug as a stimulant, for its powerful enhancing effects on sex, mood and energy, alertness and ability to concentrate, and weight loss and appetite suppression, among its other psychological and physical effects.[citation needed] Over time tolerance develops, and users have greater difficulty functioning and experiencing pleasure than they did before, which persists indefinitely due to neurotoxicity produced by methamphetamine in long-term recovered addicts.

Nicknames for methamphetamine are numerous and vary significantly from region to region, some common nicknames for methamphetamine include “crank”, “meth”, “ice”, “crystal”, “glass”, “shabu” or “syabu” (Philippines), “tik” (South Africa), “P” (New Zealand), “piko” (Slovakia), and “yaa baa” (Thailand). Methamphetamine is sometimes referred to as “speed”, but this term is generally reserved for regular amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.

The drugs, concealed in milk boxes and packed in two plastic bags, have an estimated street value of Rp 2 billion ($194,000). One suspect has been arrested.

Hendi Budi Santoso, head of the airport’s customs office, said the initial investigation indicated the drugs came from an Acehnese suspect living in Malaysia.

Airport officials became suspicious when they spotted an odd-shaped cardboard box among the luggage from a flight that had landed from the Malaysian capital. An X-ray revealed its contents to be white and crystalline.

The officials, who suspected that the box contained crystal methamphetamine, backed off to wait for someone to claim the box. However, the box remained unclaimed after all of the passengers from the flight in question had left the international arrival terminal.

At about 8 p.m., a man identified as Azman Abdullah, 50, arrived at the airport and claimed the box.

“When we opened the cardboard box, we found it contained methamphetamine and ketamine pills,” Hendi said. “There were two milk packages, one containing four bags of green tablets and two bags of white crystal identified as methamphetamine.”

Customs officers took Azman, who flew via Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur, into custody and transferred him to North Sumatra Police headquarters.

Azman, who spoke to the press, said that he had been asked to pick up a box sent by an Acehnese friend in Malaysia.

“My friend in Malaysia said the box contained fruit,” he said. “I was only told to take it from the aircraft’s cargo and hand it over to someone who would be waiting at Polonia Airport.”

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JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s health minister confirmed on Wednesday the country’s first cases of the H1N1 flu virus after an Indonesian pilot in Jakarta and a British woman in the resort island of Bali tested positive for the virus.

The 22-year-old British woman had been living in Australia, while the pilot, 37, had travelled to Australia and Hong Kong, Indonesia Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said.

The minister told a news conference that she believed both cases had originated from Australia and there was no evidence the virus had spread in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country with 226 million people.

reuters picture: A nurse prepares an isolation ward and medical equipment, in the event that suspected Influenza A (H1N1) flu patients are hospitalized, in Persahabatan hospital in Jakarta on June 12, 2009

“I assure you Indonesians have not been infecting other Indonesians. Both cases were transmitted from abroad,” the minister said, adding that those in contact with the two confirmed sufferers had been screened for the virus.

She urged health authorities in Bali, the country’s main tourism hub, to increase surveillance of those visiting the island from abroad.

The minister also said she was concerned that if H1N1 got a foothold in Indonesia there was a risk it could combine with the much deadlier H5N1 bird flu virus.

Indonesia has the highest death toll from bird flu of any country, with the country’s bird flu commission confirming 119 deaths from the disease.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the health ministry boosted precaution measures already taken nationwide, the minister said. Visitors from infected countries, such as Australia, would have special surveillance, the minister said.

The minister said that new steps would be taken such as intensifying communication among health authorities in the region and stepping up surveillance in Bali, where many visitors from Australia, which has been infected by the virus with 2,436 cases, are coming in.

“With our neighboring countries, communication would be intensified through telephone. Should a patient is found in a plane, (for example), it would be examined all the passenger in the three line vertical and horizontal,” she said.

As the spread of the virus in Australia was high, the minister said that the authorities gave every visitor from the country a health alert card.

“Honestly, I worry about those coming from Australia. We take a special measure at surveillance post in Bali to prevent those coming from Australia for vacation to Bali bring the virus,” she added.

“We boost our precaution at all level of health authorities, and step up preparedness on all health facilities at all hospitals, airports, laboratory, and others,” Supari said.

Four Indonesians so far have been affected by the virus overseas. The ministry forbids them to return home before they were cleared from the disease, she said.

The H1N1 virus has spread around the globe and the World Health Organisation has declared an influenza pandemic and advised governments to prepare for a long-term battle against H1N1.

There have been more than 50,000 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus and at least 237 people have died.

Although, we are still lucky enough not to find any case in Medan, we should still be cautious and take necessary precautions.

Some precautions to take while traveling:

1. Wear a mask to prevent any transmissions of fluid or virus
2. Wash hands regularly with soap or anti septic
3. Take good care of health and take more vitamins to prevent catching any flu ( just in case you get suspected of catching the H1N1 flu and caused restrictions in your travel even if you just have a common cold)
4. If you have any these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately, such as flu with high fever 38C ; difficulty in breathing ; cough or sorethroat.

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The houses, occupied by the families of fishermen and dockworkers, sat higgledy-piggledy on the marshland, an area plagued by pollution and a lack of clean water.

In this neighborhood, in Bagan Deli, in Medan Belawan district, about 18 kilometers east of Medan, poverty and a scarcity of potable water have been a way of life for decades.

It used to be that the little water there was came from pumped wells, channeled to residents at a rate of Rp 4,000 per hour.

For a long time, the costs of water and electricity were a considerable burden for the poorer people in Berjaya as they struggled to get what they needed each day.

But recently, after a 12-month project, things took a turn for the better.

The project, the result of collaboration by the Medan city administration, Tirtanadi Regional Waterworks Company (PDAM) and USAID-Environmental Services Program (ESP) along with several NGOs, succeed in finally giving people the clean water they dreamed of.

Thanks to the project, PDAM-Tirtanadi channels clean water through 3,543 pipes to disadvantaged households in this deprived and densely populated subdistrict. The water has brought a new measure of joy to the women and children here, with youngsters playing in the water, turning on taps and filling containers.

Saniah, a 45-year-old mother of five, expressed nothing but delight about having her home connected with a tap water supply. She described the providence of PDAM’s drinking water as “a blessing from God” she could never have imagined, and promised to cover the water meter in her front yard with a strong box to protect it. “I am so grateful and so it’s my responsibility to maintain the water equipment properly,” she said.

Having lived in the neighborhood since she was three months old, this fisherman’s daughter confirmed that having potable water had been a luxury, at least as long as she had been married.

“I used to spend about Rp 10,000 a month and had to queue up for clean water. So we had to skimp on it,” Saniah said with tears in eyes, expressing a fervent hope her children would be spared that difficulty in the future.

Similarly delighted was 36-year-old Siti Aisyah, also a resident of Berjaya. Although the new supply closed down her previous business – supplying water from the well – she is not discouraged by the loss of income: Since the tap water began flowing at the end of March, she has formed a community group to collect drinking water fees.

When she sold the water pumped through hoses from the bore at her home to neighbors, she charged them each Rp 2,500 per half-hour, giving her a monthly income of between Rp 800,000 and Rp 1 million.

“I’m not disappointed, because we have all longed for clean water while the quality and taste of well water remain the same as brackish water,” said Siti, who uses the new clean water for her own family.

The clean water supply for poor people in the Medan Belawan district covers the subdistricts of Bagan Deli, Belawan Bahari and Belawan Satu. It is managed on the basis of active public participation through Water Consumer Community Groups (Pokmair), which are responsible for the maintenance of pipes from the main meters to those in residents’ houses. For the 3,543 pipe connections, 26 groups have been set up.

According to 51-year-old Sodikun, chairman of one of the Pokmair, “the group takes care of water pipe maintenance to ensure the proper operation of water channels from main meters to residents’ homes, as well as collecting water supply fees.”

PDAM-Tirtanadi Medan is responsible for the maintenance of the master pipe installations to the main meters.

As chairman of a Pokmair, Sodikun coordinates the supply for more than 100 families whose dwellings are connected with the PDAM-Tirtanadi drinking water network in his area.

“This water management job takes up a lot of attention and time,” Sodikun said, adding he was pleased to give it because it meant the residents could have clean water at a low price.

“It’s now easier for us to pray at home. Before, ablution water was hard to get, let alone during an outage, which at times forced us to give up praying,” he added.

The gift of water for the people in these three subdistricts of Medan Belawan has turned out to be a gift of life, as it gives people a more hygienic and decent life, and means they can use their meager incomes for other things than the high cost of well water.

Source: Bambang Soedjiartono, contributor, Jakarta Post

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Tai Hwa a very popular restaurant serving local Seafood dishes in Medan has now opened a new branch at Jln Kol. Sugiono also known as Jalan Wajir as New Tai Hwa.

Here, you can enjoy simple yet delicious Seafood and Chinese dishes in an open air environment at reasonable price. However, no pork is served here. The main popular dishes are seafood dishes. Here are several of the popular dishes prepared and recommended by the chef.

Udang Saus Tai Hwa (Prawns in Tai Hwa sauce) ; Ayam Goreng Tai Hwa (Fried Chicken Tai Hwa)

Cumi Cumi Asin Pedas (Squid Salty & Spicy) ; Kailan 2 Rasa (Kailan Vegetables 2 Tastes)

The Salty & Spicy Squid is a must have dish at New Tai Hwa which is as good as those you find in Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, if not better

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